The Digest:
The Trump administration has placed Harvard University under “heightened cash monitoring,” requiring it to front student financial aid and post a $36 million letter of credit. The move escalates a political battle over ideology, funding, and institutional autonomy. Rooted in the Storm.
Key Points
- Harvard must use its own funds to disburse federal student aid before seeking reimbursement.
- The Department of Education cited “concerns regarding the university’s financial position” and civil rights allegations.
- A $36 million irrevocable letter of credit is required to cover potential liabilities.
- The action follows a court order to unfreeze $2.6 billion in research funds, which Trump officials had halted.
- The administration accuses Harvard of promoting “woke ideology” and failing to protect Jewish students.
- Harvard denies the claims, calling them an “ideologically motivated assault” on academic freedom.
- The university has begun recovering some frozen funds, including $46 million from Health and Human Services.
The funding restrictions reflect a broader ideological conflict between the administration and elite universities, where financial leverage becomes a tool for political coercion.
Sources: AFP, Premium Times
